Asheville Report Card: F to Civitas tactics

The Report Card issues grades A through F, and incompletes where necessary, to a variety of news items in this space. Got an idea that makes the grade? Send it to JBuchanan@CITIZEN-TIMES.com

Reader grade

A to Bill Gregg for his direction of "A Tennessee Walk," playwright Rob Anderson's engrossing new play, that's running at SART (in nearby Mars Hill) through June 30. This is the 60th world premiere of a play done at Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre - and one that should not be missed. Kudos to the entire cast and crew for their work in making this a production that I'll long remember.

Blaine Greenfield, Biltmore Lake

Staff grades

F to the tactics used by the North Carolina-based Civitas Institute that by all indication are designed to harass "Moral Monday'' protesters. The group has published personal information about those arrested at the protests, including photographs, names, race, occupation and other demographics. Duke Law School professor Jedidiah Purdy, in a commentary published at Huffington Post, said the move was akin to 1950s blacklists. This being an age where personal information is available at the touch of a fingertip, the names and photographs of Civitas staffers ares now flying around the Internet as well.

D to North Carolina's latest ranking - 35th - in the Annie E. Casey Foundation's "2013 KIDS COUNT Data Book," The report does show positive long-term trends; from roughly 2005 to 2011, the number of North Carolina children without health insurance dropped 20 percent and fourth-grade reading proficiency and eighth-grade math proficiency both improved by 7 percent. However, Gibbie Harris, health director of the Buncombe County Health Department, noted, "The reality is these issues don't change quickly, and it takes a long-term investment to improve a lot of these indicators. Unfortunately, a number of those investments are on the chopping block this year with the General Assembly. And my major concern is that we may not continue to see these improvements if those investments fall off."

The report says Buncombe County's unemployment rate increased from 3.6 percent in 2007 to 8.2 percent in 2011. Over the same period, the percent of students in the county eligible for free and reduced-price lunch increased from 42 percent to 55.5 percent. Deborah Bryan, president and CEO of Action for Children North Carolina, said "? at a time when so many families face significant financial stress caused by high unemployment rates and stagnant wages, North Carolina policymakers have scaled back critical supports that serve to soften the blow of economic hardship."

I for incomplete to the future of the Health Adventure. The health and sciences activity center, which has been operating for 45 years, has hit a rough patch in recent years, a patch that included bankruptcy and an unplanned move. Now it faces eviction from its home of the past two years, Biltmore Square Mall, after developers announced earlier this spring they plan to convert the building into an open-air outlet center. Before the economic collapse, the Health Adventure had plans to build a spectacular new facility called Momentum on a 10-acre site in Montford, but pledges dried up after the recession hit, and the project foundered. Now the venture's future is imperiled. "The sad fact is it looks like we need a miracle," said Dr. Mark Knollman, chairman of the Health Adventure's board of advisers. "It's clear that we're going to lose our space at the mall." After the Great Recession shakeup, The Health Adventure became a part of Park Ridge, and its 14 workers are Park Ridge employees. Jason Wells, vice president at Park Ridge Health, said the latest news is "devastating." The board is considering options and scouting other locations, but Wells said that could get very expensive. Knollman said, "It was a miracle that Park Ridge rescued us" after the bankruptcy. Now he says, "I kind of feel like we're hoping for a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth" to keep the venture afloat.

A to a pair of local baseball phenoms who are closing in on spots on the U.S. U18 national team. Alex Destino of North Buncombe and Braxton Davidson of Roberson competed with 142 others in the Tournament of the Stars at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary; the duo were among 40 players invited to the national team trials in Los Angeles Aug. 16-21. Davidson and Destino will try and earn positions on the 20-man team that will represent the U.S. in the International Baseball Federation 18U World Cup in Taiwan in late August.

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Asheville Report Card: F to Civitas tactics

The Report Card issues grades A through F, and incompletes where necessary, to a variety of news items in this space.